Flame splitter



Oct. 20, 1931. 'SLEPIAN FLAME SPLITTER Filed March 24, 1928 n .m p mm NS h P E S O J AT'TORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH SLEPIAN, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING OOEPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FLAME SPLITTER Application filed March 24, 1928. Serial No. 284,291.

.My invention relates to circuit interrupters and more particularly to a structure for the. prevention of arc re-ignition after the circuit has been interrupted.

One object of my invention is to provide a circuit interrupter with an arc chute, wherein partitions are provided that shall divide the flame from the are into sections.

Another object of my invention is to provide a copper partition in an arc chute that shall divide the flame from the are into a plurality of sections.

A further object of my invention is to provide a copper partition in the path of the flame of an are that shall reduce the voltage per section of arc flame.

A still further object of my inventlon to provide a structure of the above type that shall prevent the flame of an are from form I ing an ionized path that might cause arc re-ignition.

Experiments have shown that upon interrupting an arc in an arc-confining structure, the arc flame will continue to exist for some 2 time after current flow in the arc is completely interrupted. This flame probably results from the chemical combination between metal vapors volatilized at the arc terminals and oxygen of the air and persists as lon as 0 any unoxidized metal vapor remains. he

arc flame is found to form an ionized path which, on an alternating current circuit at times permits the re-striking of the are after the arc has been extinguished at the time when the current therein passes through its Zero value. Accordingly, when reference is made to the flame of an are it is to be understood to refer to a body of ionized gas, whether luminous or not, which is carrying so little current as not to constitute an electric are. It is further found that the breakdown voltage between a pair of terminals in My invention will best be understood by referring to the drawings, in which:

. Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing a particular embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 11-11 of the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1.

My invention comprises, in general, a circuit interrupter 1, and an arc-extinguishing device 2 that has a flame sectionalizing partition or flame-splitter 3 which now will be described in detail.

The circuit interrupter 1 may be of any type found in the art and is shown herein as comprising a base 4.- ,of insulating materiah whereon a solenoid 5, having an armature 6, is mounted. The armature 6 is attached to a moving contact member 7- that engages a stationary contact member 8 to complete a circuit through conductin leads 9 and 11 in any manner that is well nown in the art.

The contact members 7 and 8 are adjacent to the arc-horns 12 and 13 mounted between side plates 14 and 15 to form an arc chute. 1 g

plication, Serial No. 208,686, filed July 27,

1927, and assigned to the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. It is to be understood however, that I do not wish to be limited to the specific structure herein shown, since my flame-sectionalizing device may be used in conjunction with almost any structure wherein an arc is drawn and extinguished.

The flame-sectionalizing member 3 is composed of conducting material and is herein shown as made of copper comprising a portion 16 within the arc chute between insulating members 14 and 15, and an enlarged section 17 above the arc chute. Such a construction assures the division of the flame, even though it extends beyond the top of the insulating members 14 and 15.

By the employment of the flame-sectionalizing member 3, I have found by experiment that the flame which ordinarily persists after the are is extin ished will withstand, without restriking 0 the are, nearly twice the voltage which it is able to withstand in the absence of the flame splitter 3.

The figure discloses a single flame splitting member 3, but any number of. them may be employed in order to assure that, when the rise of the alternating voltage across the arc-horns impresses a voltage gradient through the arc flame, the voltage between any pair of members 3 will be below a critical value which I have found to be from 300 to 400 volts. When the voltage per section of the arc flame is maintained below three hundred in instantaneous value, restriking of the are between the main contacts is precluded.

It will thus be seen that I have provided means in an arc-extinguishing device whereby re-ignition is prevented by sectionalizing the arc flame in order that the voltage thereacross will be less than the re-striking value.

It is to be understood that such changes in the form, arrangement and connection of the component parts of my invention may be made as shall fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an arc-quenching means, means for extinguishing an arc, a flame splitter in addition to said extinguishing means located so as to divide the arc flame without dividing said arc.

. 2. In combination with an arc chute having a pair of parallel side walls, means for establishing an arc'therebetween that is extinguished thereby and flame-splitting means in addition to said extinguishin means in said chute for sectionalizing the ame of the are.

3. In combination with an arc chute having a pair of parallel side walls, means for establishing an arc therebetween that is extinguished thereby, and a metal partition in the arc chute in perpendicular relation to the side walls in the path of the flame of the arc.

4. In a circuit interrupter, the combination with an arc chute, of means for extinguishing an arc therein, and means in addition to said extinguishing means for sectionalizing the flame of the arc comprising metal barriers.

5. In a circuit interrupter having an arcextinguishing device comprising insulating walls forming a narrow slot into which the arc is moved from the circuit interru ter contacts and extinguished, a sectiona izer for the flame of the arc.

6. In combination with a circuit interrupter, an arc-extinguishing means associated therewith, and means for sectionalizing the flame oi the are positioned adjacent to the said extinguishing means and adapted to reduce the voltage per section of arc flame.

7. In combination with a circuit interrupter, an arc-extinguishing means associated therewith, and means for sectionalizing the flame of the arc in addition to said extinguishing means for reducing the voltage per section due to the voltage gradient of the arc path below the critical value requisite to initiate an arc.

8. In combination with a circuit interrupter, of an arc-extinguishing means associated therewith and means for sectionalizing the flame of the arc in the said extinguishing means to reduce the voltage per section below 300 volts per section in maximum in stantaneous value.

9. The combination with a circuit interare established thereby and means adjacent to the deionizing means for sectionalizing the hot gases of the arc.

12. The combination with a circuit interrupting device, of means for extinguishing an arc established thereby and means adjacent to the arc-extinguishing means for sectionalizing the arc flame.

13. In combination with a pair of separable electrical contacts, an arc-chute having side walls so disposed that the are drawn between said. contacts may be forced between them, and a partition transverse to said are and to said walls, and positioned so far from said contacts that said are is extinguished before it can reach said partition.

14. In combination with an electrical circuit, a pair of separable electrical contacts in operative relation'with an arc-chute having side walls so closely spaced that the are drawn between the said contacts cannot remain in stable operation between them, and a partition transverse to said arc-chute and positioned so far from said contacts that said are will be extinguished beforeit can reach said partition.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10th day of March,

JOSEPH SLEPIAN. 

